From the Archives: Taking Advantage of Free Position Shots

The Free Position is similar in theory and importance to the foul shot in basketball. It’s awarded after a foul, it’s relatively easy to convert (relative to regular game action) and you better score.

Why a free position is called
There are three main fouls that can be called in the eight-meter: Three Seconds, Shooting Space and Illegal Stick/Cross Checking. Here are some brief Cliffs Notes for each:

Three Seconds — Occurs when a defender is in the eight-meter arc for more than three seconds without being a stick’s length from her player. (It’s like a lane violation in basketball.) This is one rule that makes it very difficult to play a zone defense in women’s lacrosse. Typically, it is called when a defender gets caught ball-watching and her attacker slips away and leaves the defender essentially guarding no one.

Shooting Space — This is a safety measure. Basically, it is the responsibility of a defender to get out of the shooting path of an attacker. For this to be called, the attacker has to be going to the goal (or look like she is going to the goal). A smart attacker knows how to “draw” shooting space. If the attacker with the ball stands around the arc and is not a threat, Shooting Space cannot be called. That is why it’s so important to always be a threat. If the attacker did choose to shoot, she would likely hit the player being called for Shooting Space. This can be a very subjective call.

Illegal Stick/Cross-Checking — This is pretty self-explanatory. Any check toward the face should be called and yellow carded. Recently, there has been a push to issue yellow cards for cross-checking as well.

Now, what do these three infractions have in common? They all result in a Free Position Shot. When a Free Position Shot is awarded, all players must clear the entire eight-meter arc by the quickest exit route possible, and be at least four meters away from the shooter.

In my opinion the Free Position Shot is one of the most underrated skills in the game of women’s lacrosse. Not nearly enough attention is given to the art of converting these free opportunities. 1 would say that typically 6-10 of these shots are awarded per team, per game. You should score on one out of three attempts, so a team should be able to score at least three goals on Free Position Shots per game, making the mastery of these skills crucial to your team’s success—and to you racking up more goals.

Setting Up
When lining up for a Free Position, I like to crouch down into a “sprinter’s position”, with my stick lying across my feet and my weight on my toes. I feel this gives me a faster start and my stick is protected close to my face. (see picture)

Wait for the Whistle
You must wait to start until the referee blows the whistle. It’s not worth it to try to jump the gun because a false start results in a turnover. Some people like to look at the referee as a guide for when to start, but I prefer to look at the goal and locate an open space to shoot. This is more important as far as scouting your path to the goal and your options once the whistle blows.

While you wait for the whistle, there are three things you must consider when deciding how you should run to the goal. Notice where you are positioned and which hash mark you are placed on. There is a big difference in shooting angle from being on the center hash mark and lining up on the far right one. Obviously, being in the middle gives you the best chance of scoring. Since possession is the name of the game in lacrosse, sometimes it’s better to hold onto the ball and not shoot a bad-angle shot. It might also be to your team’s advantage to take some time off the clock and not shoot.

The second thing to consider is where your defenders are located. Is there no one to your left side, or do you have people to either side of you? This will allow you to determine how far you can run toward the goal and which hand you should have your stick in.

The last thing you have to be aware of is where your teammates are placed. Is your team’s best attacker positioned in a place where you can pass her the ball? Or do you want to fake like you will pass in order to get the goalie to move and open up the cage for your shot?

It’s important to make sure you know where everyone is and think ahead to envision all your options once the whistle blows.

Path to the goal
There are various ways that you can run to the goal. Look where you are positioned and make sure you run in a way that gives yourself the best angle. For example, if I have defenders on either side of me, I run a step closer to the defender that is not on my stick side. This gives me a little extra room and puts more distance between my stick and the defender on my stick side who wants to check the ball away. (see picture)

I think a good rule of thumb is to take two or three steps and then shoot. I am not a big fan of trying to run through a sea of defenders. I also don’t like shooting from a stationary position from the eight-meter; I feel like I’m not able to gain momentum. When I played, I had the most success by taking two to three steps and getting the shot off quickly. The quicker you get your shot off, the less likely a defender will block it. (see picture)

The placement of your shot is up to you. This is easier said than done, but you want to make sure you shoot where there is space. If given the option, I prefer to shoot low rather than high, especially on a Free Position Shot.

Whatever style you choose, the most important thing you can do is practice. Don’t think just by imagining your technique that you will actually be able to do it.